Black Manta is a character who, more than likely, needs A LOT of introduction. As the archnemesis of Aquaman since the late 60s, this bug-eyed bad guy has left quite a mark on the King of Atlantis over the years. However, while Black Manta’s monstrous acts will be hard to forget by comic aficionados worldwide, it’s his legacy within the autistic community that demonstrates the true danger this dastardly diver can cause as, yes, Black Manta is Aquaman’s ongoing sparring partner but, also, Black Manta is autistic – or was autistic (let me explain).
The Bizarre Autistic Origin of Black Manta:
When Black Manta first appeared in 1967s Aquaman issue 35 (an issue which opens with the line ‘Holy Haddock!’), little was known about the manta ray-themed menace. Dressed in a full black diving suit, an oversized silver helmet with large white eyes and commanding a team of… ‘Manta-Men’, there wasn’t much to be gauged from Black Manta’s initial introduction, other than that the villain despised Aquaman and he was going to use his superhuman strength and the heat-beams from his helmet to create chaos in Atlantis.
At this point in history, autism was far from the public’s consciousness, so it’s little wonder why, when the villain was initially revealed, there was no mention of his experience of the condition. Instead readers would have to wait a full 36 years to hear the autistic origin of Black Manta when, in issue 8 of the mainline 2003 Aquaman run (in the story, titled ‘Paint it Black!’), it was revealed that, before Black Manta was Black Manta: ruthless treasure hunter and mercenary, he was David Hyde: an autistic orphan who had been sent to Arkham’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane – due to a low understanding of autism in the 80s.
While Arkham has never been a place anyone would want to visit (especially when it later became home to Batman’s arch-enemy: The Joker), what made it particularly unbearable for young David was that, due to having severe sensory issues, Hyde often suffered at the hands of the asylum staff, who were said to have shown ‘little sympathy’ when Hyde was put into ‘excruciating pain’ as the result of something as simple as being tucked into bed – In fact, as time went on, it transpired that the only solace young Hyde experienced during his early years was the feeling of ecstasy he had when submerged into icy cold water (because how else were they going to explain that he became a sea-based villain?).
Things for David got much worse from here though as, after being deemed ‘a hopeless case’ in the ’90s, the doctors at Arkham decided to use David as a human guinea pig for their ‘experimental treatments’ – e.g autism trials.
As this is the world of comics, you can probably guess what happened next as, just when David’s captors started to see progress: in the form of an improved vocabulary, it also transpired that these tests had given the boy super strength and increased aggression – resulting in the escape of the orphan from the asylum and the murder of many doctors who had punished the boy during his time at Arkham.
As if that wasn’t weird enough, things get more chaotic later in the same issue when David (who has now assumed the identity of Black Manta), has his autism ‘cured’ by Aquaman’s ‘Lady of the Lake healing powers’ (no I’m not making this up). This results in Black Manta miraculously turning to the side of good: a change which he would later stray from towards the end of the 2003 series.
Why Black Manta’s depiction of Autism is Bad:
Like Black Manta’s depiction of autism itself, having an autistic supervillain is a complicated idea. Autistic People have a history of being looked down on for things which are often out of our control and by promoting a villain who seems to have been destined for darkness, due to misunderstandings, writers could be, unwittingly, sharing the idea that autistic people are one bad day away from buying an evil lair, hiring some henchman and carrying out international crime in animal-themed outfits.
However, while the very idea of a spectrum themed supervillain is problematic, Black Manta’s inclusion of an autism cure is something way more controversial within his legacy – as, not only is this something which can indicate that Black Manta was bad because he was autistic, but by having Aquaman administer the change, audiences are led to see the action of what is essentially rewriting someone’s brain as heroic.
Without his autism, Black Manta should have felt lost and stripped of his identity. Instead, he feels so thankful for Aquaman pulling him out of ‘a black hole’ that he joins the side of good – not exactly a message I would encourage.
Why Black Manta’s depiction of Autism is Good:
Black Manta’s depiction of autism isn’t completely without redemption though as, behind some questionable decisions, his origin showcases the prejudices and subsequent dangers which many autistic people previously faced (and still do face) as a result of a lack of autism awareness/understanding.
Black Manta isn’t an ancient evil with a chip on his shoulder nor was he born on a distant planet looking for somewhere to invade, he was simply a boy brimming with potential who was broken as a result of others, needlessly, trying to fix him. This is a strong warning to the dangers of thinking that different must be bad and it’s one which the writers should be praised for – even if they do immediately ruin it with the introduction of an autism cure… or do they?
Yes, it’s disgusting that Black Manta becomes a goodie two shoes (flippers?) after Aquaman uses his ‘healing hand’, but there are a few notable inclusions after this happens that dilute how bad an idea this ever was.
- In a later issue, Black Manta comments on how it was the years of abuse which really corrupted his moral compass.
- Without being autistic, Black Manta eventually returns to his old life, demonstrating that, with or without the condition, David Hyde was always fated to be a jerk!
I feel these two significant pieces of evidence are often left undiscussed when bringing up how poorly autism is depicted by Black Manta. While I can’t exactly say that this forgives the original plot point: that it was autism what caused the scourge of the Seven Seas to be SO bad, in my opinion, it certainly upgrades him from an insult to the autistic community, to a sympathetic outsider in the world of literary autists.
Carry on the Conversation
In the lead up to the new Aquaman movie, I would love to start a conversation surrounding this controversial autistic representation. So let me know your thoughts on Black Manta in the comments below. Also, if you want to hear my thoughts on another controversial autism depiction, please follow this link to my article on ‘The First Autistic Character’.
As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
If you like what you have seen on the site today, then show your support by liking the Autistic & Unapologetic Facebook page. Also, don’t forget to sign up to the Autistic & Unapologetic newsletter (found on the sidebar on laptops and underneath if you are reading this via mobile) where I share weekly updates as well as a fascinating fact I have found throughout the week.
Thank you for reading and I will see you next Saturday for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
